African Horse Sickness: Signs, Midges and South Africa's 2026 Case

What happened in the Western Cape

On Nov. 2, 2026, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture announced that African horse sickness (AHS) virus serotype 7 had been confirmed in one mule at Perdekraal, near Clanwilliam in the Cederberg region of South Africa. AHS is a non-contagious viral disease spread by Culicoides biting midges, and it is often fatal in horses.

The case was detected on Oct. 27 and the diagnosis was confirmed by the University of Pretoria's Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. The national Department of Agriculture first announced it on Oct. 30 as a case in a single animal, without naming the species. Some early news reports, including the government news agency SAnews, called it a horse; the Western Cape release identifies it as a mule.

The property sits inside South Africa's AHS protection zone. It is about 198 km from the AHS-free zone and 97 km from the surveillance zone, and officials say surveillance so far has found no spread into either.

Here is what is in place right now:

• An outbreak containment area under the Animal Diseases Act of 1984 and the province's AHS contingency plan.
• No permits will be issued to move horses out of the affected area. Movement inside the controlled area normally needs a permit from the State Vet: Boland.
• Quarantine, testing, tracing and a census of equids around the property, plus monitoring of biting midges.
• International trade partners will be notified, with more trade information promised later.

The source and extent of the infection are still being investigated. National Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp said there is no proof of large-scale disease activity outside the property, and the response is coordinated with the national department and South African Equine Health and Protocols (SAEHP).

What is African horse sickness?

African horse sickness is a viral disease of horses, mules, donkeys and zebras. It is spread mainly by tiny Culicoides biting midges, not by horses touching, sharing water or breathing on each other. That makes it non-contagious in the everyday sense, even though it can move fast where midges are active.

A few key facts:

• Horses are hit hardest. The disease is often fatal in horses, especially in the lung form, according to USDA APHIS and the Merck Veterinary Manual.
• Mules and donkeys usually get a milder form. That is one reason a mule can carry the virus with less obvious illness.
• Zebras are highly resistant and can be infected without looking sick. Imported zebras have been linked to past outbreaks outside Africa, including Spain in 1987 and Thailand in 2020.
• There are nine serotypes (strains). The Western Cape case is serotype 7.
• People cannot catch it, and it is not a food-safety risk.

AHS is endemic in much of sub-Saharan Africa, including large parts of South Africa. What makes this case news is where it turned up: inside the layered zones built to keep the virus away from the Western Cape's export horses.

African horse sickness symptoms to watch for

Western Cape officials ask owners to report any equid showing these signs immediately:

• Unexplained fever
• Swelling of the head or neck, often noticed around the eyes, face or throat
• Breathing difficulty
• Sudden, unexpected death

USDA APHIS also lists depression, coughing, frothy nasal discharge, chest swelling and colic-like discomfort. Signs can look like other illnesses, so only lab testing confirms AHS.

It helps to know your horse's normal temperature, pulse and breathing rate before anything goes wrong. Our Health Basics page covers what normal looks like and how to check.

Why it is a notifiable disease

AHS is a listed disease of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) because of its high death rate and its potential to spread quickly, so countries report outbreaks to WOAH. In South Africa, as in many other countries, the law requires suspected cases to be reported to government veterinary services.

For an owner, "notifiable" means one thing: you do not wait and see. You call your vet and the state vet, and the official response takes over from there.

How South Africa's AHS zones protect horse exports

South Africa treats most of the country as an AHS-infected area. In the Western Cape, it keeps a controlled area made of rings:

The Perdekraal case is in the outer ring, which is why distances to the other zones were part of the announcement. Western Cape Agriculture Minister Ivan Meyer called the province's disease-free zone "an important asset for our agricultural economy."

History shows why. Confirmed outbreaks in the Western Cape surveillance zone in 1999 and 2004 each led to about a two-year suspension of horse exports, according to research published in WOAH's Revue scientifique et technique. The department has not announced any trade effects from this case, so treat any claims about export bans as unconfirmed until officials say otherwise.

How to protect horses from Culicoides midges

The advice from Western Cape officials works for midge-borne diseases in general, including bluetongue-type viruses in livestock and itchy summer skin problems in horses. Midges feed most around dusk and dawn, breed in wet ground and are weak fliers.

Midge-season checklist

1. Stable horses from two hours before sunset to two hours after sunrise, where possible.
2. Avoid low-lying, wet areas for turnout, such as boggy pastures, dams and stream banks.
3. Use registered insect repellents and insecticides as the label directs. Ask your vet which products are registered where you live.
4. Add fans in the barn. Moving air makes it hard for small midges to land (a general midge-control tip, not part of the official release).
5. Fix leaking troughs and muddy patches near barns and paddocks.
6. Check every horse daily, including a quick look at the face and eyes and how they are breathing.

A well-fitted fly sheet and mask can help with general biting insects. Our care guide and grooming pages have more on daily checks.

Why officials say not to vaccinate right now

This surprises many owners. South Africa's registered AHS vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine. Officials say giving it while midges are active could let the vaccine strain spread further and make the situation worse.

So the official advice in the Western Cape is to hold off on AHS vaccination during this period. Vaccine decisions belong with your vet and local veterinary services, not with an article.

Why AHS matters to horse travel worldwide

AHS has never been reported in the Americas. WOAH's 2026 list of AHS-free members includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and others.

That status is worth protecting. USDA APHIS notes the US has never detected AHS but does have insects that could spread it, and it regulates horse imports to keep the disease out. That is why horses from affected regions face strict testing and quarantine rules.

For most owners outside Africa, AHS is not a daily worry. It is a reminder of why import paperwork, quarantine and health certificates exist, much like the Coggins test and quarantining a new horse. If you live in the Americas, midges and mosquitoes still carry diseases that matter, such as West Nile virus and vesicular stomatitis.

What to do and what to watch next

Call the vet or state vet right away if

• A horse, mule or donkey has a fever you cannot explain.
• You see swelling of the head, eyes or neck.
• An animal is struggling to breathe or has frothy discharge from the nose.
• An equid dies suddenly without a clear cause.

In South Africa, report suspected cases to Veterinary Services. Elsewhere, call your vet, who will contact the animal health authorities (in Mexico, for example, SENASICA).

What to watch

• Updates from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the industry site myhorse.org.za on surveillance results.
• Whether any case appears in the surveillance or free zones. So far, officials say none has.
• Trade information the department has said it will share later.
• Movement rules if you plan to move horses anywhere in the Western Cape. Get authorization before you load up.

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